Part 2813

<i>Macaulay.</i>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>To destroy a considerable part of; <as>as, to <ex>decimate</ex> an army in battle; to <ex>decimate</ex> a people by disease.</as></def>

<h1>Decimation</h1> <Xpage=376>

<hw>Dec`i*ma"tion</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>decimatio</ets>: cf. F. <ets>d\'82cimation</ets>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>A tithing.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>State Trials (1630).</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>A selection of every tenth person by lot, as for punishment.</def>

<i>Shak.</i>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>The destruction of any large proportion, as of people by pestilence or war.</def>

<i>Milman.</i>

<h1>Decimator</h1> <Xpage=376>

<hw>Dec"i*ma`tor</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Cf. LL. <ets>decimator</ets>.]</ety> <def>One who decimates.</def>

<i>South.</i>

<h1>D\'82cime</h1> <Xpage=376>

<hw>D\'82`cime"</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F.]</ety> <def>A French coin, the tenth part of a franc, equal to about two cents.</def>

<h1>Decimeter, Decimetre</h1> <Xpage=376>

<hw><hw>Dec"i*me`ter</hw>, <hw>Dec"i*me`tre</hw><hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>d\'82cim\'8atre</ets>; pref. <ets>d\'82ci-</ets> tenth (fr. L. <ets>decimus</ets>) + <ets>m\'8atre</ets>. See <er>Meter</er>.]</ety> <def>A measure of length in the metric system; one tenth of a meter, equal to 3.937 inches.</def>

<h1>Decimosexto</h1> <Xpage=376>

<hw>Dec`i*mo*sex"to</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Prop., in sixteenth; fr. L. <ets>decimus</ets> tenth + <ets>sextus</ets> sixth.]</ety> <def>A book consisting of sheets, each of which is folded into sixteen leaves; hence, indicating, more or less definitely, a size of book; -- usually written 16mo or 16&deg;.</def>

<h1>Decimosexto</h1> <Xpage=376>

<hw>Dec`i*mo*sex"to</hw>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Having sixteen leaves to a sheet; <as>as, a <ex>decimosexto</ex> form, book, leaf, size</as>.</def>

<h1>Decine</h1> <Xpage=376>

<hw>De"cine</hw> <tt>(?; 104)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[From L. <ets>decem</ets> ten.]</ety> <fld>(Chem.)</fld> <def>One of the higher hydrocarbons, <wordforms>C10H15</wordforms>, of the acetylene series; -- called also <altname>decenylene</altname>.</def>

<h1>Decipher</h1> <Xpage=376>

<hw>De*ci"pher</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Deciphered</er> <tt>(?)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Deciphering</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[Pref. <ets>de-</ets> + <ets>cipher</ets>. Formed in imitation of F. <ets>d\'82chiffrer</ets>. See <er>Cipher</er>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>To translate from secret characters or ciphers into intelligible terms; <as>as, to <ex>decipher</ex> a letter written in secret characters</as>.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To find out, so as to be able to make known the meaning of; to make out or read, as words badly written or partly obliterated; to detect; to reveal; to unfold.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>To stamp; to detect; to discover.</def> <mark>[R.]</mark>